"I don't really have a lot to say," Benson said after leaving one of his many meetings Monday. "I just met with the commissioner. We are putting our best foot forward. And I feel very good about it."

New Orleans is vying with South Florida and Phoenix to host the game. Each city will make a 15-minute presentation to the owners today, followed by a five-minute presentation from Benson, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell.

The announcement of the host city is expected to be made by late afternoon.

While New Orleans appears to be the sentimental favorite to land what would be a record-tying 10th Super Bowl, most NFL owners were hesitant to say the Crescent City was a favorite.

"They are all great places to play the game," Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "Truly, South Florida, New Orleans and Arizona are three great places to play the game. I can say that. Obviously, it's not a one time and out with these three locations, I can say that."

The New Orleans contingent is confident, though.

For months while the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and Saints executives worked to pull the plan together, Benson quietly lobbied his colleagues.

"It's not just today, but I will tell you he has been coming back to us and updating us on his informal polling of where we stand," Saints Vice President of Marketing Ben Hales said. "It means a lot to him to get this thing."

Monday proved to be an exhausting day for the New Orleans contingent. The group met about its plan throughout the day.

The New Orleans delegation met with the NFL in the afternoon, and the league offered suggestions and asked questions about the city's bid.

The New Orleans group then went to work making changes to what Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero said is New Orleans' best bid ever.

And, all the time, Benson was there, giving advice about the way the message should be delivered to the NFL owners, of which he is one of the strongest voices.

"We had to make a decision as to whether or not you put all of your resources on the table or you hold back," Cicero said. "Our theory was to put everything on the table. We can't afford to lose this. This is something that has not only been important to our organization but to the city and state, and, obviously, it's important to the Saints. So we were all at the table putting everything down to win this event. It's our absolute best bid."

Hales said: "Today was really like a football game. You go in with a game plan, and (Monday) was like when the conditions change and you have to adjust. Like any good game plan, you have to plan for what's coming up.

"There were some changes today, and we were ready for them," Hales said. "I feel really comfortable with the answers that we had for the questions that they presented."

At today's 15-minute presentation before the owners of all 32 NFL teams, just five people are allowed in the room on behalf of New Orleans. And only two -- Rod West, CEO of Entergy New Orleans, and Stephen Perry, president and CEO of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau -- will be allowed to speak.

Also in the room will be Bob Brown, the managing director for the Business Council of New Orleans; Ron Forman, chairman of the Louisiana Superdome and Exposition District; and Cicero.

The groups from South Florida and Phoenix also were confident that their hometowns could win the bid.

"There are three cities that really want to get the game," the Cardinals' Bidwell said. "I don't know that (New Orleans) is a sentimental favorite. We are trying for the Super Bowl in 2013 for Arizona. And we really would like to get it and to put on a great game."

Ross of the Dolphins said: "I think everybody wants it because you care about your city and you want to deliver something for your hometown. I don't look at nobody as being the sentimental favorite other than Miami. .¤.¤. This is a tough one. I don't know if there is a betting favorite, because they all are great cities, and they all would all deliver great Super Bowls."